Thursday, October 6, 2011

Heading North to Breakside Brewery

If you have been reading my blog, most of you know that I love breweries and almost any type of delicious new brew. I first came across Breakside Brewery when they appeared in last year's Holiday Ale Fest. So, naturally, when they appeared on a daily deal Web site - I bought the deal. My brother, a few friends and I made the trek out to NE Portland to find this new brewery.

The ambiance was right up my alley with large barrel based tables, dim lighting, candles on every table and chalkboards listing the daily beer selections. With a copper bar top and metal accents, I really loved every detail. It was casual but still classy.

I do have to say, I wish I would have gone hungry and not just thirsty. The food looked incredible! I was sold when one of the servers walked by with blue cheese waffle fries. If the food tastes as good as it looked, I recommend trying it out. Check out the menu here.

As for the beer, we decided to try a variety of the selections available. My favorite was probably the "Wit," which is no surprise because it is a lighter beer with flavors of orange peel and coriander. It is also a Belgium-style beer and usually you can't go wrong with a good Belgium. My brother and his friends liked the Aztec Ale, but decided it was best in small doses because it is flavored with serrano and habanero chiles. Not to mention, it is 9.4% ABV. There are a variety of seasonal and experimental beers so before you head over, check out there updated beer list.

The newest project for head brewer, Ben Edmunds, is his collaboration with local chefs to make a beer that is "restaurant specific." Each brew will be featured in the brewery as well as each's chef's restaurant. I think this is such an innovative idea and a new spin on pairing food and beverages. You can read more on this collaboration here.

A little fun fact: The bartender told us, "breakside" is a term used in Ultimate Frisbee and the owners/founders are big Ultimate players. I love Portland.